What is a Sovereign Bank in the United States?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

In the United States, "Sovereign Bank" historically referred to a major northeastern regional bank headquartered in Massachusetts that grew rapidly during the savings and loan consolidation era before being fully acquired and rebranded as Santander Bank. Additionally, the name designates Sovereign Bank (formerly First National Bank & Trust Co.), which is recognized as the largest tribally-owned national bank in the United States, owned and operated by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma to drive economic sovereignty and community development.

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